The most important benefit is quality. This method is the closest you can get to the dent never happening in the first place. No grinding, fillers, or primers are needed because your original factory paint is not disturbed. Also, there are no problems with filler or paint shrinkage months after the repair as is typical with most body shop repairs.

Cost is also a major benefit of PDR. Repairs are typically between one-quarter to one-third the cost of conventional dent repair.

Time savings is yet another advantage. Many dents can be fixed in less than an hour. Hail damage is typically fixed in one day with PDR. A body shop may take 2-3 weeks for the same type of damage.

Environmental concerns are another benefit of PDR. Since this process keeps the original factory paint on your vehicle, there is no need for the paint, chemicals, or other toxins that are used extensively in body shops when repairing dents. PDR is 100% environmentally friendly.

Unfortunately, as of now, there aren’t any licensing or performance standards for this industry. Deciding on which PDR technician to use based on the cheapest price can often be a mistake, as skill levels vary widely among technicians.

Many people in the PDR business are better gifted with a silver tongue than they are the actual skillsets to repair dents to perfection. Aggressive salespeople will make it seem extremely easy and have well-rehearsed answers ready for all your questions, as their primary goal is getting your vehicle into a shop.

Most consumers will look at the dent straight on or outside in the sun when it’s delivered and not know what to look for when determining if they received a quality repair. See the BAD PDR page for examples of sub-standard workmanship.

There are a few options when it comes to industry verification. One is Vale National Certified. This is the only nationally recognized independent certification available to PDR technicians which involves an in-person testing with computer aided scoring methods. Michael received his certification from Vale in 2004.

Another organization for vetting technicians is ARC. Michael Hand is a Certified Master Hail Technician through this company.

Absolutely not. Once a dent has been removed properly with PDR, it never comes back. New impacts obviously could result in a new dent but at least you can rest easy knowing that Dents By Hand is your best option for repairs.

Not always. The most important factors in determining if a dent can be repaired by PDR are depth and paint condition.

Larger impacts can often be repaired if the paint has not become cracked from the impact. We will inspect the damaged area and give you an honest assessment of the expected outcome as a part of estimate process.

Small but sharp dents — such as those caused by a pellet gun or stray golf ball — can often be too sharp and may have stretched the metal. This means that the metal has become thinner in the deepest part of the dent and there is too much surface area for it to all fit back into place properly.

Glue Pulling, or GPDR (Glue Pull Dent Removal), is the art of removing dents with specialty tabs, hot glue, and tools called mini lifters or slide hammers.

A small dab of hot glue is applied to the center of the tab and then carefully placed onto the dent. After a short set time, the mini lifter or slide hammer is used to reverse the dent out. A little spray of isopropyl alcohol is then applied to the glue to remove it from the panel. From there we can then tap down the high spot as needed until the metal is flat.

This technique is crucial for hail repairs to hard-to-access areas where it becomes difficult to get to the back side of the dent, such as roof rails.

Not all dents are good candidates for this process. Deeper, sharp or stressed dents can be much more difficult to fully remove as you are basically using the painted surface to pull the metal back to its original shape. Also, poorly re-painted surfaces may lack the proper adhesion and could result in paint failure during the GPDR process. A good technician using proper lighting can often identify if a panel has been re-painted.

Ever hear the saying “Image is everything?” Most people judge a car by its appearance. If it looks good, they assume it has been well taken care of. Used car dealers and wholesalers know this. They also know what they spend on PDR will make them many times over what they spend while helping them sell the car quicker. If you are selling your car, PDR is one of the best ways to get top dollar, more interested buyers, and a quicker sale.

PDR maintains a vehicle’s value – Dents and dings decrease the resale value of vehicles. Paintless Dent Repair returns vehicles to the original factory condition without affecting the factory paint finish.

Emailing us a few photos of your dent or dents is a very convenient option and allows us to determine if your dent is a good candidate for our process. There are some limitations around this method when it comes to determining an accurate price, such as access and depth of the dent. A closer, in-person estimate will be done prior to any repairs allowing for the most accurate estimate.

For the most accurate assessment please provide us with the following:

• Your vehicle description, such as year, make and model.
• Have the vehicle in solid shade.
• At least three (3) photos of the dent showing it from various angles, such as left and right sides looking towards the dent.
• A picture that provides a reference to the size of the dent, such as the whole door. Close up pictures can exaggerate your dent to look much larger than it actually is.

No. In most cases there is no need for a skilled technician to do this. Drilling a hole for access is a tactic used by less experienced PDR techs doing wholesale work, or who simply do not care to take the time to carefully remove items that could allow access to the back of the dent.

Glue pulling (GPDR) is another effective method when access is not possible, and Dents By Hand has extensive experience with this method.

Drilling is not permitted with any insurance claim repairs and, in some cases, will void a manufacturer’s warranty.